If you don’t know where you are going, than any road will get you there! You must plan, execute, and measure.

Who’s going to do the planning?

Whether the plan is for your entire company or just one department; you must make sure to get input from multiple levels. Get your entire team involved in developing plans for the team, project, department, or company. Assign aspects of the planning to those closest or most knowledgeable to the each particular phase. Coordinate the process and make decisions based on the overall strategy and core values.

Often the leader will engage a strategist to guide the company through the process and the development of the plan. This has proven to be very effective.

The people who are closest to the work and are responsible for implementing the plan, should be directly involved in the planning. Strategists can facilitate the process, but if the plan is going to work, the people responsible for its success should be a part of the planning.

Source: Sorrell Associates, LLC